1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a device for use with rolled roof fabric and more particularly to a device for the installation of roof fabric on the roof purlins or joists of a metal framed building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Metal frame buildings typically comprise a roof formed of a series of parallel rafters which extend from one side of the building to the other side of the building, forming a center peak that runs from the front of the building to the back of the building. A series of parallel purlins are supported on the rafters and are mounted perpendicular to the rafters. Typically, roof fabric is laid over the purlins and may be followed by insulation material and then roof sheeting. The roof fabric may comprise woven material, a membrane of plastic or other substance, or any sheet of material. Roof fabric may also be used on building systems generally, for example, as a floor moisture barrier.
Installation of these materials on the roofs of metal framed buildings has typically been accomplished by hand. Such installation is dangerous under ideal conditions and is extremely dangerous and haphazard under less than ideal conditions, such as high wind.
Machinery that can apply the fabric to the roof of a building can minimize the danger to workmen and improve the quality of the finished roof. Several such devices have been patented to Robert J. Alderman such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,698. In this and the other devices patented by Mr. Alderman, a roll of insulation material is suspended on a carriage above the roof. The carriage rests on at least two purlins and is moved along the length of the purlins, thereby unrolling the fabric over the roof. In the structures of all the devices patented by Alderman, in addition to all the similar devices known to the applicant, the fabric to be rolled onto the roof is held by supports on either end of the roll. This structure has the disadvantage of limiting the width of fabric which may be rolled onto the roof. Also, the prior art devices rest on at least two purlins, further preventing the use of the devices on any purlins that are separated by a non-standard distance. In addition, the prior art devices are bulky and difficult to transport and place on a roof.
The roof fabric, ideally, should be installed on the roof such that there are no gaps in the material. Accordingly, wider rolls of fabric are desirable because installation of the wider rolls results in fewer seams and less potential for such gaps. Furthermore, in the known prior art structures, the devices must be operated by a workman present on the roof. No known prior art structures allow for the operation of the device by a workman on the ground.